With so much “going green” and hype about sustainability and energy and alternative solutions in the news, on company Web sites and even down to the food we eat, the grocery bags we use and the clothes we wear, there is a faint whisper from time to time (if you close your eyes, hold really still and listen) about the true meaning of sustainability and whether it has the power to stay over time. 

And who’s to blame for the “bad rep” of “going green” or “sustainability?” Is it one of those very important topics that just has an overused name, to the point people forget, or maybe never truly understood, the real meaning or goal of sustainability? Or, in fact, what the term “going green” means?

 Some groups think it’s a phase the world is going through, with everyone jumping on the “let’s go green” bandwagon. Sustainability and “going green” mean a variety of things, depending on which industry, who and what company you ask, but as to the world’s overall attitude, it seems to be a trend that is here to stay - if anything, to get stronger.

According to Pinnacle Worldwide’s Global Sustainability Strategy Results, “about half of respondents (46%) perceived media coverage of environmental topics as accurate about half the time, with 28% seeing reporting as ‘mostly accurate.’ However, 22% rated media as ‘mostly inaccurate’ or ‘extremely inaccurate.’ When asked how they knew the media was accurate or not, ‘personal opinion about environmental and natural science topics’ was the leading basis for perceptions of media accuracy. 

However, one of the goals respondents in this report cited is education. “Improving perceptions of the company was rated as more important than increasing revenue via sustainability programs.  However, revenue was still seen as ’somewhat important,’” according to the report.

These aspects, while not overly surprising, demonstrate, like most high-profile topics in the world, the power of the press and how much influence the media has on public knowledge and perception. We are stewards of the truth, or thoroughness of cutting through the red tape and getting to the bottom of even the most intricate, confusing and layered of topics. 

Interestingly, 6.7% of the respondents said they believe sustainability is a fad and 4.4% they do not see a way to reduce their environmental impact. Clearly more education is needed among these groups.

For the energy industry, one aspect of “going green” is with investments and clean energy.

Can the refining industry go green? Some say sure, others are doubtful.

The transportation industry already is above many others with alternative fuels such as biodiesel and butanol and vehicles that are more fuel efficient.

I could go on and on but then I’d probably lose your interest and not get my magazine articles written for the next issue … but you get the point. Sustainability and the transition toward “greener” business practices, products and ways of thinking are here to stay.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 at 12:04 pm and is filed under Sustainabililty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.